Life

The Monday Round-Up: Brits Take Dubai

Lawrence and Bowden dominate in Dubai, IRONMAN announces 20 more Kona Dreamin' winners, and more buzz from around the endurance world.

Races at a Glance

IRONMAN 70.3 Dubai

Brits take the wins

Holly Lawrence (GBR) used a race best swim and bike to build up a six minute advantage over the defending champion, Anne Haug (DEU), coming off the bike. Haug headed out on the run at a blistering pace and managed to reduce the gap but was 1:36 short as Lawrence hoisted the finish line banner to take her first win of the 2019 season.

Adam Bowden GBR) led the pro men's race out of the choppy ocean swim. On the bike, Bowden, Patrik Nilsson (SWE), Sebastien Fraysse, (FRA) Eric Watson (BHR) and Johann Ackermann (DEU) pushed the pace at the front. Ackermann, Fraysse and Bowden came off the bike together, but Bowden forced his way to the front early into the run. No one was able to respond to Bowden's move, and the Brit ran his way into victory by a 2:39 winning margin.

The Buzz

Plan your escape from Snowmageddon

Feeling the chill? It’s time to plan your escape from this polar vortex – and all the bad weather yet to come. The Rock ‘n’ Roll Oaxaca Half Marathon on March 17 is your beacon of hope during frigid February weather. To prepare, download the music of headline act Panteón Rococó, a joyful dance band with a unique style that blends rock, punk, salsa, mariachi, reggae, ska, and mestizo music.

While you’re In Oaxaca, take time to tour the region and carbo-load with Oaxaca’s famous mashed potatoes. Travel + Leisure rated Oaxaca one of the top two cities in the world in the magazine’s most recent World’s Best Awards. Oaxaca beat out perennial favorites like Rome and Istanbul, hailed for its superior food, architecture, and historic relevance.

And that’s why we do all three

The New York Times reported on an unsettling new bone density study that found young elite cyclists had thinner bones than runners, even though the cyclists also lifted weights. The Norwegian School of Sport Sciences and the Norwegian Olympic Training Center measured the bone density of twenty-something male and female world-class, competitive cyclists and runners. Even though the cyclists consumed enough calcium to meet their RDA, they had noticeably different bones than the runners. More than half of the young cyclists met the medical criteria for low bone mineral density, and one of the male cyclists displayed clinical osteoporosis in his spine. The researchers were not able to determine why the cyclists’ bone density was so low, although they did note that the cyclists trained many more hours than the runners, averaging 900 hours a year compared to 500 hours a year. Researchers also speculated that the cyclists may have been eating too little for their activity level.

When your phone can make you faster

Addicted to your phone? It’s not all bad news. Outside magazine published a review of fitness apps that will help your training. First on the last: MapMyRun, recommended for exporting training data to IRONMAN triathlon-favorite Training Peaks. We were intrigued by Interval, a free app that lets you set up customized workout timers. The app vibrates or beeps to let you know when it’s time to start or end your next interval, running in the background so it won’t interfere with your music or mapping app. Others on our download list: Charity Miles, which donates money to charity as you log miles, and Rock My Run, which creates a playlist based on your running cadence, adjusting as you slow down – or speed up.

Florida Strong Challenge

We'd like to introduce the Florida Strong Challenge! Cross the finish line at bothIRONMAN 70.3 Gulf Coast and IRONMAN Florida this year and earn a third medal. Not only will you have an additional bragging rights, but you'll also be supporting Panama City Beach, FL. These two events are paired perfectly to keep your tri season going all year long. Secure your spot in the challenge today!

Instagram of the Week

Final 20 Lucky Kona Dreamin' Athletes Named

John and Judy Collins, the co-founders of IRONMAN, had a dream that any person could one day aspire to participate in this storied event. To honor their dream, 40 athletes have had their name drawn and will now compete in the 2019 IRONMAN World Championship.